Self Publishing? Has it worked?

I am self-published using lulu.com I have some books there at the website provided by lulu for authors. It's very easy to follow instructions. I hope that you'd be able to publish there also. I have no ISBN yet so it could not be included in Amazon, etc.

I self published a rather successful cookbook of Danish recipes, using http://www.lulu.com I published it in 2005, and I've sold many copies already. Here's proof that self publishing works! Tak For Mad ISBN: 1-4116-3456-X http://www.lulu.com/content/116633

I've heard negative things about self publishing. Why don't you look into a web site on a company called Publish America. It's www.publishamerica.com They publish for you (if they select you) and it doesn't cost you, but you do get a portion of the profits from any copies that actually sell. All the details are on the site. I have a cousin in California who used them to publish his book, and you can see it on there if you do a search. His name is Andrew Bragg. As I understand it, it's no way to get rich. But it is a way to see your book published without having to front the money or go into what is called "vanity" press.

Can you make money(at least a few thousand dollars) with self-publishing? Can you become wealthy with it? How do you self-publish "offline"?

Certainly self publishing isn't a new concept, though the WWW has expanded it exponentially. Vanity Press Houses have been in existance as long as Writers have wanted to share more than one copy of anything. The issues I have with WWW or E publishing sites/orgs/ etc. is retaining any rights to a piece, possible theft and plagarism of a piece, and so often here I see people post about an original idea being stolen, recycled and posted back. First of all, and with no offense to any who feel that; There are NO Original thoughts. Obviously one might see a post here, have the same thought and just didn't express it before the other did. Another issue about self publishing is the promotion of it. Long ago I published a small book, actually directed at writers; took it to a Vanity Press to avoid such things as multiple solicitations and submissions to major houses, and the usual stack of rejection notices. I paid upfront and got 4500 copies for my money. I had to sell or give them away. My first experience was to connect with small book stores, coffee houses, etc, and ask if I could do a Book signing/sale/giveaway, using a small portion of their space. Shops like B&N buy through distributors, and or houses that sell in volume; AND B&N is interested in profit, so they don't stock every piece ever written. Beyond that they do, I'm sure, have an occasionl "BOMB" on a shelf, but anyone can see that by looking at the "clearance" or "bargain" tables. In my case certainly income is important, hence I'm not a 24/7 365 a year publishing machine, though I write all the time, or at least note things I eventually want to record, express, share...OR NOT. I also write primarily for ME! Steven Wolf

I self-published a poetry chapbook. But I printed the whole thing myself using an old C&P press and sewing the binding. Made a really cool little book. Certainly didn't do it for the money. And it sure took a hell of a long time to put together.